Measure For Measure
by Erratta
Summary: Sequel to All's Well That Ends Well. After a dramatic rescue, the future looks promising for Danny and Lancer, but Maddie's getting curious and Lancer disappears... EDITED
1. Heroes

**Measure for Measure**

_After I finished rewriting "All's Well That Ends Well," I took a look at the rest of the Spirit Series and chatted with a few friends about it, and I came to the following conclusions._

"_Measure for Measure" and "Much Ado About Nothing" were in need of rewrites as well, though not as much as for AWTEW. _

"_The Comedy of Errors" needed a little fixing, but minor. _

_By the time I finished all that, "The Tempest" would need some changes too. _

_There were some things that I needed to expand on in general and would make for a more entertaining story._

_So, after taking all that into account, I rewrote MFM and MAAN and they're ready to start being posted now. And look, here's the first chapter of MFM now… Updates should be fairly regular, and I'd appreciated reviews to let me know if you like the changes, or the story in general, or whatever, as per usual. There'll be a brief pause in updates around Christmas, because I'm going home to a wonderful dial-up connection, but yeah, new and improved fics coming your way…_

Chapter 1: Heroes 

_I don't own Danny Phantom, and to make it clear: not owing DP means I don't own any lines from the show either._

The Friday after Skulker's auction, Danny's classmates were still talking about how Will Spirit had rescued them from the Ghost Zone. Danny Phantom had been there too, of course, but it had been Will Spirit who had conjured up the portal just long enough for everyone to get back safely. Everyone had been interviewed by the local media, fussed over by parents, and interrogated by friends so many times that they were growing sick of the attention. Everyone, that is, except Paulina Sanchez, who was still wearing her best clothes to school in case there was a camera crew nearby.

William Lancer was having a very difficult time keeping everything under control. They hadn't let him (or the class) come back to school the next day, which had given him and Danny time to nurse themselves back to health. But now he had to keep the entire school in line, since he was vice-principal, and hold his classes' attention long enough for them to learn something. That was hard even at the best of times, and this week all they wanted to do was talk about Spirit and Phantom. Mostly Spirit. The worst of it all was that Lancer had to pretend to have seen Will Spirit and been helped through the portal by him. He had to be constantly on his guard not to give away his secret. He was just thankful that there hadn't been any ghost attacks on top of everything else. Probably because most of the ghosts were still handcuffed to each other on Skulker's island.

To make matters even worse for the two halfas, the town had decided that the classes' rescue merited a party in celebration of the two ghostly heroes. They were holding it tonight, in the Casper High gymnasium. Lancer had decided that he and Danny had to show up as Spirit and Phantom to maintain and boost their public images, even if neither was really comfortable with the idea. Unfortunately, they both had to attend as their human halves as well because they had been "rescued," and neither had come up with a decent excuse for getting out of the party. As a result, they were both standing in the gym, dressed in their best clothes, waiting for themselves to appear.

Eventually, Danny started fidgeting and slipped out to the "washroom." Several minutes later, Lancer "heard a noise" and went to "investigate." Several more minutes later, and Danny Phantom and Will Spirit descended through the ceiling to wild applause. They paused for a moment, looking worried, then descended to the stage, where Mayor Montez and Danny's parents were waiting. There was a minute of silence, as everyone took in the scene, and then the mayor stepped forward, hesitantly, and began speaking in a formal tone.

"Danny Phantom and Will Spirit, it is my honour and my duty as mayor to thank you for your continuing efforts to protect Amity Park from malicious ghosts. On behalf of the town, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the misunderstandings and mistreatment that have gone on for the last year. Please accept these medals on behalf of the town, as a thank you and an apology."

Jack and Maddie Fenton stepped forward with the medals, and placed them around the halfas' necks. They both whispered personal apologies as well, and Danny and Lancer accepted them. Once the Fentons had stepped back and there was another round of applause and cheering, the mingling began.

The first person to accost Danny was, of course, Paulina, his self-declared Biggest Fan and One True Love. She threw her arms around his neck, flipped her hair aside with a jerk of her head, and batted two heavily made-up eyes seductively.

"Oh, Phantom, I'm so glad you came! I want to thank you for saving me all those times. You know, you're very cute," she cooed, twirling a strand of his white hair around an index finger. Danny shifted uncomfortably and gently removed her other hand, which was winding itself further and further around his waist.

"Um, you're welcome, I guess. I think you're very pretty too, but it can't work out between us, okay? I'm really not your type."

Danny disentangled himself the rest of the way from the hispanic teen, and quickly moved away, praying she wouldn't follow. He moved from cluster to cluster and talked to what seemed like half the town before he found himself face to face with Valerie, the amateur ghost hunter who'd been plaguing him for the past year. He quickly scanned her for weapons. The black girl crossed her arms casually when she noticed his agitation.

"Relax, ghost boy," she said drily, "I came unarmed tonight. Figured I owed ya that much. And I wanna say sorry too, okay? You never tried to hurt me seriously during our fights, when I know you could have. And I just kept chasing you. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, Valerie," Danny replied awkwardly. "On my part, that thing with the ghost dog really wasn't my fault. I was trying to catch it. And exposing you in front of your dad was just to ..."

"I know." Valerie blushed. "This doesn't mean I'm going to stop hunting ghosts, though. I'm just going to stop hunting _you_." Danny nodded. He wouldn't have expected less.

"Understood. Want a heads-up sometimes?"

"Sure," agreed Val, as someone approached her from behind. She noticed his shadow and turned slightly to face the newcomer.

"Oh, hi, Dad," she said smoothly, "this is Danny Phantom." Danny stayed to chat with Val and her father for a while, and then they moved on. Danny turned to move on and ran into his mother. His feet automatically began moving in the opposite direction again.

"H-hello. Uh, I think I see ..." Maddie grabbed his arm.

"Not this time, Phantom," she told him threateningly. "You're going to stay right here and listen to a full apology from both of us." She intercepted Jack, who was on his way back to the punch bowl, and dragged him and her son over to a secluded corner, where she looked at him with a motherly eye.

"My, my, you were no older than my Danny, now were you? And taking on all those ghosts by yourself ..." Maddie shook her head sadly. "Jack and I just want you to know that we really are sorry for hunting you. We're both a little obsessive about ghosts, and I guess we still have a lot to learn. We're behind you if you need us, though you certainly do a better job fighting most of the time than we can. Right, honey?"

"Of course!" Jack boomed. "And Phantom, if you need weapons, come to us from now on. You don't need to steal them anymore."

"Thanks. I appreciate it. Can I go now?"_ Dad knows that was me? _How _does Dad know that was me? _

"All right, but don't be a stranger!" Maddie chided. "And we would really like to talk again, about other ghosts and things."

"Not making any promises. Bye!" Danny practically ran away from them. His parents could be embarrassing even when they weren't technically being his parents. And they were getting closer to figuring him out too, by the sounds of it.

_Not good_, he said to himself._ Definitely not good._

While Danny was doing his best to avoid people, Lancer, or rather the white-skinned Will Spirit, was trying to say as few words as possible to the mob of parents pressing him for details on his life and the rescue. He was beginning to wonder if it was actually possible to have his pointed ears talked off.

"No, it wasn't any trouble. Yes, I am good friends with Phantom. No, I did not die recently. No, I didn't know him when I was alive. WHAT?! No, I was not a teacher, whatever gave you that idea? No, um, it didn't happen like that... Yes, but I'm not looking." He mentally rolled his solid blue eyes. _Why does Will Spirit get all the girls?_

Much to Danny and Lancer's relief, their ghost senses went off before things got any more awkward and embarrassing, and they made a hasty exit through the ceiling. Lancer popped his head back in as an afterthought.

"Thanks for the party," he said to the people staring up at him. "We probably won't be coming back, so you might as well all go home now."

He turned to follow Danny, and found the boy already capping his Thermos with a bored expression on his face.

"Box Ghost again."

Lancer smiled slightly. "Probably the only time I'll ever be glad he showed up."

"Yeah. Know what you mean. We'd better get back in there before anyone realizes we're missing. My parents will flip."

And thus it was that ten minutes later, Danny walked out of the gym with his friends and family while the vice-principal locked up the doors behind them. Danny fell back a little to distance himself from his parents, and spend a little time with his friends before they had to part ways for the night.

"And another successful night of everyone being blind to the truth is over," said Sam. "I think that went pretty well, actually. Who was it this time?"

Danny raised his arms above his head in an almost threatening manner, and his friends laughed. Danny returned to his normal posture and slouched still further.

"I think my parents are starting to clue in, though."

"Because of tonight?" Tucker asked. Danny shook his head.

"They know Phantom's been stealing their stuff. But they say he only has to ask from now on."

"Well, that's good," Sam said gleefully. "It means we can use some of the bigger things now."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Danny's mind began to think of the possibilities. Most of them involved Vlad.

"Guys," interjected Tucker, "I see my folks. We still on for tomorrow?" Danny and Sam nodded, and Tucker ran off. Then Sam's parents appeared, and her mother placed her gloved hands on Sam's shoulders.

"Samantha, darling, let's go home. We don't need to be around_ these people_ any more than we have to. Why can't you be friends with a nice boy like that Danny Phantom? He might be interested, especially if you started dressing in bright, primary colours."

"Mo-om!" Sam shot an amused look at Danny as she was dragged off. With nothing left to use as an excuse, Danny caught up with his parents and climbed into the Ghost Assault Vehicle (sorry, the _Fenton RV_), and they went home.


	2. Suspicions

_Thanks to YumeTakato, Snickerer, and Tamarind djinni._

**Chapter 2: Suspicion**

_I own only one thing on the following list: The Brooklyn Bridge, a jet, the Dresden Codex, an Egyptian mummy, Danny Phantom, a cat. Any guesses?_

"I don't understand, William," Principal Ishiyama sighed as she sat behind her desk and looked at the aging man on the opposite side of it. "You're one of the most dedicated teachers at this school. You've never had an absence or a late the entire time we've known each other, but now you miss entire classes and leave them unattended for long periods. Honestly, you're almost as bad as that Fenton boy. I'm worried about you, too. You're tired, distracted, constantly injured, and losing weight. I'm not buying the 'flu' excuse you've been using for the past four months. You need to get this looked at."

Despite his age, Lancer squirmed. How did one react to this sort of thing? What would Danny do? After what seemed like ages, he spoke.

"Beth, I'm fine, really. It's a family thing. I didn't want to bring it up before because my students come before myself. It'll pass, I promise." As he fought the urge to loosen his collar, Lancer mentally rolled his eyes at himself. _Now _I'm_ getting too good at lying. There's no chance that this is going to end this _century.

"Well, for your sake and mine, William, I hope it does. We need you at this school." The middle-aged woman smiled pointedly at him over clasped hands. "I trust you can make it to your room alone? I have a meeting."

Lancer nodded, muttered another apology, and left the principal's office. _Let's hope that satisfies her for a while,_ he groaned inwardly. _I don't know how much longer I'll be able to lie convincingly._

He had almost made it back to his classroom when something flashed across his inner eye and he stumbled into a water fountain, to the amusement of the students passing by at that moment. All he managed to register was an oppressing sense of darkness punctuated by a sudden flash of light.

As quickly as it came, it was gone. Lancer noticed the students grouped around him and nudging each other, and snapped at them for loitering before continuing the rest of the way to his room, where he collapsed at his desk. He began massaging his temples and worrying about the momentary blackout.

---

Danny arrived home, dropped his backpack by the door, kicked off his shoes, and made a beeline for the refrigerator, completely missing the kitchen table covered in ectoweapons and the jumpsuit-clad brunette standing beside it with folded arms. He managed to open the fridge and grab a soda before completely absorbing his surroundings. He froze and plastered a smile on his face.

"Hi, Mom!" he said happily. "Invent anything new today?"

"No, dear," Maddie answered in a similar tone with an edge on it. "One of Jazz's friends is staying the night, so I decided to tidy up a little, and then I noticed your room was a little messy." Danny's eyes widened.

"Youdidn'tcleanitdidyou?" Maddie continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"Do you want to know what I found at the bottom of your laundry basket?"

"Five bucks?" Danny smiled with weak hope.

"This!" She held up a Jack-o'-Nine-Tails. "And then I found a Fenton Fisher behind the mirror. And _then_ I got curious, and I found the rest of this" she gestured at the table "in various places around your room. Mind telling me why you've got an arsenal stashed up there that we didn't know about?"

"Um, there's no easy way to say this," stalled Danny, "but I'm, I'm, er, keeping them for a friend. He doesn't have anywhere to store them, so I said he could use my room."

"Phantom." It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. "You're friends with Phantom. That's where you go running off to all the time, isn't it? And why we keep picking up ectosignatures in your room?"

"Yeah!" _Why didn't I think of that before?_

"Why didn't you tell your father and me?" She had reverted back to "normal mother" mode and was now looking at him with a concerned expression.

"You guys were trying to capture him," Danny told her. "He's my friend. I didn't want him to get hurt and I knew he was helping the town. I figured you'd try to use me as bait or something."

"Oh, sweetie, we'd never do that," his mother said quickly, then became frank. "Well, not the bait part at least. But it's all right now, because we've made up with Phantom. Didn't he tell you?"

"I think he might have mentioned something," Danny mumbled sullenly.

"Well, tell him it's been two weeks since the party and we're still waiting for his visit."

"Okay. But he's a pretty busy ghost," Danny said evasively. "I don't know if he'll be able fit you into his schedule."

At that moment, the floor shook violently and there was a shout of "Eurekaaaargh!" followed by a series of crashes and a plume of violent green smoke.

"Oh no. I suppose I'd better go see what's happened to your father." Maddie headed down to the basement, grabbing a gas mask as she went. Danny quickly gathered up his supply of stolen weaponry. Was she getting closer to the truth about Phantom? And how on earth had she managed to find _both_ sets of Fenton Phones?


	3. Deceit

Thanks to YumeTakato, Snickerer, Tamarind djinni, and The Sorceress of Light. 

**Chapter 3: Deceit**

_I don't own Danny Phantom._

"I can't take it anymore!"

Vlad Masters shot up from the chair he'd been sitting in for the last hour and a half watching news footage from Amity Park and its neighbouring cities. Most of it concerned either Danny Phantom or Will Spirit, or both. _Heroes. Hmph. Think they can really stop everything they come up against. I think it's time they were taken down a peg or two. I'm going to give them the fight of their lives. And that just might work to my ends too. _He grinned._ If they want publicity, I'll _give_ them publicity._

---

It started out as just a normal day. The sun was shining, the grass was green, and Danny and Lancer had caught three ghosts before school. As a result, when their ghost senses went off just before lunch, neither halfa thought anything of it.

"Mr. Fenton, I've asked you to stop talking four times this period. Go to the office and wait for me there," Lancer snapped. "Manson, Foley, for encouraging him, you get to go too."

"Yes, sir." They made a show of trudging out of the room. Danny accelerated as soon as he was out of sight of the door, and his friends headed to their lockers for weapons. So far, till strictly routine.

Then it got weird. Technus was in the school library reprogramming the databases.

"Ha ha, now, I, Technus, master of technology, am going to use the confusion about which books are where in this hall of learning to distract everyone until I can access their technology and take over the school!"

Danny smirked, invisible, above him. _He's getting smarter. Still not there yet, though._ He made himself visible.

"Obviously you didn't count on me showing up so soon, technobreath." Technus whirled around.

"You think you can stop me, ghost child? Behold my newest gadgetry!"

Technus slid open an arm panel and pressed a button. A narrow beam of green ectoenergy appeared, fragmented, and condensed into five nasty looking miniature robots, which began to attack Danny while Technus got back to work. Danny managed to disable them with ectoblasts, but by that point Technus had done his damage. He cackled, and left through the ceiling just as Tucker and Sam burst in.

"Technus," he explained. "Tucker, see if you can reverse the damage he did to the databases. How long till the bell, Sam?"

"Two minutes."

"Tell Lancer to head to the nearest computer store as soon as it rings. I'm going to try to head him off." Danny shot through the ceiling as well, just in time to see Technus make a dive towards the mall several blocks away. Danny followed.

_He just _had_ to pick a public place, didn't he?_

---

By the time Lancer made it to the mall, Danny had managed to steer the ghost away from the technology stores and into one of the major clothing outlets. He already had several fires blazing as a result of stray ectoblasts.

It turned out that the robots weren't the only new addition to Technus's arsenal. He had also added several high-powered lasers, a ghost-seeking missile, and what looked scarily like a machine-gun for ectoblasts. Somebody had put a lot of time and effort into the latest version of his armour, and judging by the subtlety, it hadn't been Technus.

Lancer dove right in alongside Danny and began fighting. When he'd moved close enough that he wouldn't need to shout, he asked Danny if he needed a break. The boy already looked fairly tired, and it had only been about ten minutes since the attack began.

"I'm not dead yet," he told Lancer testily.

Lancer dodged a round of ectoblasts. "Danny, the two of us can't beat this. He's souped up too much."

"Two of us can't, maybe. Three can!"

Lancer nodded and concentrated. He heard a gasp come from the few people who were brave enough to get close to the fight, and smiled. This was the first time he'd used this power in public, because he'd only mastered it last week. His eyes snapped open and both Will Spirits attacked Technus with vigour. The technology ghost took one look at his third opponent and a brief look of fear flashed across his face.

"He never told me about that one! I thought only he could do that."

"You thought wrong," growled Lancer, directing another blast at Technus's chest, as his double shot one at the machine gun. That "he" had to be Vlad, never a good sign. It was news to Lancer that Technus was in the original halfa's employment, though.

"Why's Plasmius doing this?" asked Danny, who was trying to take out the missile launcher. He didn't want another run-in like the one which had resulted in a large section of the store's back wall being missing.

"Wouldn't you like to know, child? It certainly wouldn't be because he's trying to make you look bad to the public and therefore get you two to turn to the dark side and join him in a life of crime." Technus paused with a look of worry on his face.

"Yup, microbrain, you just gave it away again!" Danny grinned. _So that's what Vlad's after. Well, it'll take more than a ruined mall to make us join him. _

At that moment, Lancer's faces lit up. His double flew out of Technus's reach and began taunting him.

"I bet that gun of yours can't reach me over here, mullet boy!"

With a look of rage, Technus began to prime his gun again. The real Lancer prepared a fistful of ectogoo, and fired it at the last second. It clogged the barrel of the gun and the ectoblasts had nowhere to go. The pressure built up until the rivets of the longwinded ghost's armour began popping and pieces began falling off. Danny quickly dove behind the sales counter, and Lancer turned intangible in preparation for the explosion that was sure to follow.

When the smoke cleared, Lancer reunited with himself, Danny got what was left of Technus into the Thermos, and the two halfas headed back to the school. They touched down in a bathroom just as the bell rang to end lunch. It had been one of their shorter fights. They breathed two sighs of relief and headed off to their classes.

---

Danny's parents were parked in front of Casper High when school let out, and by the time Danny, Sam, and Tucker had climbed inside, Danny had endured taunting by every member of the popular clique on account of the GAV and was a bright red. His mom turned to face them as his dad pressed the gas pedal to the floor.

"Hi, kids, we're just coming back from the mall and we thought we'd give you a ride home. There was a ghost attack, but Phantom and Spirit took care of it before we could make it to the scene. Unfortunately, the attack made a little mess, like ghost attacks always do, so we stayed to help clean up. It's the least we can do to help Phantom. Which reminds me, Danny, when is he coming to visit?"

"Dunno," Danny answered sullenly. "Sometime."

Jack's father piped up at this point. He didn't sound or look like his normal cheerful self, and the GAV was careening wilder than ever as a result.

"Want to know the funniest thing? V-man was there! He kept mentioning the damage and saying how our 'little ghost heroes' maybe don't deserve that reputation if all they do is wreck things. Heck, Maddie and I make more mess sometimes and just look at _our_ reputations! Well, I just told him that those ghosts deserve the respect of everyone in Amity Park and that they're being as careful as they can be. He just wouldn't let it go. Well, if that's his attitude, maybe he doesn't deserve to be invited to my birthday party this year. If he's not a friend of Phantom's, he's not a friend of ours."

Maddie nodded along with her husband. Danny blinked.

_Huh? My parents are starting to turn against Vlad? Bet he didn't plan on that. _

"Hmm, I wonder what he was even doing in Amity Park?" Jack's mind wandered off on that tangent for a few seconds before the cries of "Truck!" reached his ears. He swerved.

"How did everyone else react, Mom?" Danny asked with what he hoped was casual curiosity.

"Same as us. The whole town's behind Phantom and Spirit, especially after that party a few weeks ago. We're not going to tolerate anyone slandering their name, and we're not ashamed to let them know it."

"You can stop right here, Mr. Fenton. I can walk," Tucker quavered. Jack pulled over, disregarding the opposing vehicles, and a very carsick Tucker lurched out.

"You know what, Mr. Fenton, he doesn't look very well. I think I'm going to go with him." Sam took the opportunity to escape Jack Fenton's erratic driving. "Thanks for the ride!"

The rest of Danny's trip home was occupied by his father's ranting against Vlad, and the ranting didn't end even after Maddie provided her husband with milk and fudge in an attempt to get him to stop. Danny, who never thought he'd hear such words out of his father's mouth, was surprised at how long Jack kept going, and had to fight back the urge to drop hints about Vlad's more sinister nature. He was on shaky ground with his parents at the moment when it came to ghosts.

---

Meanwhile, the halfa in question had collapsed on a park bench and was rubbing his temples. That ruse with Technus should have worked. That section of the mall had been almost completely destroyed. Jellybeans, even the fire department had to be called in. This was a standard ghost attack, as far as the residents of the city were concerned. They'd always reacted negatively in the past. Sure, they were looking at Daniel as a hero now, but that sort of negative publicity should have _worked_.

It hadn't helped matters that Jack Fenton seemed to have switched over from Phantom's enemy to his best friend and had actually begun arguing with Vlad over Daniel's hero status. Of course Vlad hadn't planned on Technus being blown up like that either, but how was he supposed to know that William Lancer could duplicate himself? How had he managed to keep that one hidden from Vlad's spies?Well, he could always hope that the "anonymous secret footage" of the attack that had appeared outside the local newsroom door would have a better effect, but at this point, somehow he doubted even that. Vlad was just going to have to try something else. He stood up definitively.

"Well, I suppose it's time for Plan C." He strolled off amiably yet purposefully. His grin caused a nearby puppy to cower.

_Review! I like review! Please! Review or I'll sic my muse on you!_


	4. Plan C

_Thanks to Snickerer and YumeTakato. C'mon, those two can't be the only people reading this, can they?_

**Chapter 4: Plan C**

_I don't own Danny Phantom or any Fenton product, as cool as they are. If I did own any of them, the ghost that stole half my cutlery would be toast._

A week after the Technus affair, Will Spirit was patrolling one of the residential areas of Amity Park late at night when his Ghost Sense went off. He quickly moved his head side to side to scan his surroundings, but saw nothing. Before he had time to turn around, however, he was hit with another flash of darkness like the one he'd gotten in school over a week ago, and it disoriented him enough that he didn't even notice the hand until it clamped over his face. It held a cloth soaked in some sort of sweet smelling substance. Lancer felt his eyelids droop and struggled to stay awake.

"Sorry, Spirit, but you're coming with me," said a voice that was already beginning to blur. In the fog that was invading his mind, Lancer managed to come up with one suprised, sarcastic remark before losing consciousness: _What is this? A TV show? Who actually says that sort of thing? _

_---_

His next memory was of a dimly lit room with a lot of odd shadows. From the lack of internal cold, he knew he was human again, which meant that his kidnapper either knew his secret, or was about to find out if Lancer couldn't transform back.

He tried. He couldn't. He discovered that he was also restrained by something, but he couldn't tell what. Before he had time to truly panic, a shadowy figure appeared in the doorway.

"Well, well, awake I see. Welcome to my home." His captor chuckled unnervingly.

---

Danny sidled into English the next morning planning on another false tirade from Lancer. Instead, he was greeted with a very real tirade from none other than Testlaff, the health and gym teacher. She ranted at Danny for a full two minutes before he had a chance to speak.

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching instead of chewing me out?"

Testlaff harrumphed, but did fortunately stop haranguing him and began the class. Danny took his seat and pulled out his books. When he judged it was safe, he slipped a note to Tucker.

**Where's Lancer?**

_**Didn't show. Thought he was with you.**_

**No. Haven't seen him since yesterday. You don't think he's hurt, do you?**

_**Maybe, but he might have a valid reason.**_

**He would have told me. I'm going to go looking at lunch. Keep your ears open.**

Tucker passed the finished note to Sam, who looked concerned for a moment before continuing to scribble in her notebook. She shot a glance at Danny that said, _We'll help. _He nodded.

---

By four o'clock that afternoon, there was still no sign of Lancer. His bed hadn't been slept in, his wallet was on his kitchen table, his car was still parked on the street, and as far as Danny had been able to tell, he wasn't lying wounded anywhere. Tucker had managed to find out that he hadn't let the school know he was going to be absent either. That left only one option. It had to have been a ghost, and if Vlad was around these days, three guesses who that ghost was. And the first two don't count.

Danny gritted his teeth at the idea. He needed weapons and transportation, and he needed them _now_. He ran down the stairs to his basement the moment he got home but stopped short at the bottom.

"Mom. Dad." _Of _course, _just when I need the lab to be empty, my parents are down here._

"Hey, Danny boy! Look what we've come up with!" Jack Fenton held up what looked to Danny like a giant spray bottle. With Jack's face on it, of course. There was a light green liquid sloshing inside it. Danny eyed it warily.

"It's the Fenton Sprayer, Danny! If there's an invisible ghost nearby, all you have to do it aim this in its direction and pull the trigger. The liquid clings to ectoplasm so you can see it again."

_Fantastic_, thought Danny, _now I can't even have the security of being invisible._

"That's ... great, Dad. Have you tested it yet?"

"Of course not! I don't see any invisible ghosts around here! Hey! Let's try this thing out right now! Might as well make sure it sprays properly before we meet a ghost." Jack pulled the trigger of the Fenton Sprayer. He pulled it again. And again.

"Dang it. Must be clogged or something." Jack pointed the nozzle towards himself and peered at it inquisitively. He squeezed again. This time it worked.

"Argh! Maddie, get it off, get it off!" Jack started running in circles around the lab, knocking over beakers and equipment. Before he could do any more damage than his son was willing to clean up, Danny grabbed a towel off a counter and handed it to his mother, who made a flying leap and tackled her husband to the ground.

"Now stay still, Jack dear."

_Well, that's a welcome distraction._ Danny began to sneak around the side of the lab. He surreptitiously pocketed a Fenton Fisher and was reaching for a Fenton Finder when his mother looked up and caught him.

"Danny, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhh, Phantom needs more stuff?" he asked hopefully.

"More than what you've got stashed in your room?"

"They got broken?"

"Danny..." Maddie was losing patience. Her son was obviously worried about something (more than usual, at least), and doing a terrible job of lying because of the nerves. Danny knew the game was up, and sighed.

"I just talked to Phantom. He says Will Spirit's been kidnapped and that he needs me to meet him in the Ghost Zone to help with the rescue. So I'm just going to take a few more weapons and get in the Speeder..." Danny began edging towards the Portal again. Maddie put out a hand to stop him.

"Wait a minute, Danny," she said. "You can't drive. How do you expect to take the Specter Speeder into the Ghost Zone?"

"You trained me, remember?"

"That was in case of emergency, when we couldn't be with you." Maddie grabbed a Bazooka and a few assorted weapons and tossed them in the back of the Speeder. "We're coming too, Danny. The Ghost Zone isn't a safe place for humans. We _are_ trained professionals, Danny."

"Mom, Dad," Danny protested, "you'd just be in the way. Trust me. I know what Phantom's planning." _Though I _would_ really like the help. _

"Do you even know what ghost he thinks did it?" Maddie asked. "Maybe we know a little about it and can provide information."

"He knows all he needs to. He's fought him before." _I didn't realize they'd try to be _this_ helpful._

"Why are you so worried about this?" inquired Danny's father, trying to get the last of the Sprayer's liquid out of his hair. "This is Phantom's fight, not yours."

"Phantom says Spirit's never fought the ghost alone before," Danny said. "He's pretty powerful and I'm worried. Even Phantom's scared to go up against him. He's told me what that ghost can do to people, especially ones that are already dead." The gears in Jack's head clicked into place.

"It's that Wisconsin Ghost, isn't it?" Danny tensed. "I knew it! He's the most powerful ghost we know of, besides Phantom and Spirit, and the only one who's an even match for Phantom." That was the third time Jack had surprised his son in the last month. Had he really been watching Phantom's fights that carefully?

"Nasty piece of work," Jack continued. "If that's who Phantom's going to fight, I'm coming. You're not going in there alone. I've seen what he thinks of humans, and I don't want to see anything happen to you."

"I'm coming too, then," Maddie declared. "Phantom's just going to be distracted trying to protect you, and he's going to get hurt. And besides, if Phantom's fighting and you get hurt, who's going to get Spirit out of there? We're fellow ghost hunters. We're not leaving one of our own to suffer. Either we all go, or no one goes." She jabbed an ectogun into her belt.

"All right," Danny conceded. "But he won't be happy about this." Danny watched as his parents loaded the entire portable contents of the lab into the Specter Speeder. It hit him just how big a hole he'd dug for himself in the last five minutes.

_Oh, great. They're going to expect to pull over at some point to meet up with Phantom, and there're going to be a lot of awkward questions. A _lot_. Like about how I know the Ghost Zone so well. And I'm not going to be able to answer them all without getting my parents suspicious. At least, any more than they already are. Lancer's right. I can't keep lying to them like this. I barely remember what I've told them and what I haven't. And they do accept me as a good guy, and want to be friends, so I guess they won't try to kill me now. But then I'm going to have to explain the hows and whys. _Danny sighed. _Well, it does take a few hours to get to Vlad's portal. I guess I can do this. I've waited long enough._

"Danny, are you coming?" Danny jerked himself out of his thoughts and realized that his parents were waiting expectantly for him.

"Yeah. But I need to tell you guys something first. It's to do with the kidnapping, sort of." Danny stepped out into the middle of the lab. "Promise you'll think before you do anything?"

His parents nodded, confused. They watched in shock as two rings appeared at Danny's waist and Danny Phantom appeared where their son had been standing. The keys to the Speeder clattered to the floor in the moment that followed.

"Danny?" Maddie stammered and nearly slipped to the floor before Jack caught her. "How? When? Why didn't you tell us before?"

"I'll explain on the way," Danny said tightly. "We've got a couple hours before we get there."

He climbed into the Speeder, and his parents nervously joined him. Maddie turned the key and drove through the Portal, eyeing her son as she did so. This was going to be a very interesting ride.

---

While Danny was sitting in English consumed with worry, his teacher was sitting in a dark room, trying to figure out why Vlad had captured him and why he was getting a feeling of déjà vu. His abductor's silhouette appeared in the doorway of the room and Lancer could tell that it was sneering.

"Well, well, looks like Daniel hasn't come to get you yet. Think he will, or does he not care about you enough to rescue you?"

"Why am I here?" Vlad began to walk slowly into the room, hands behind his back.

"I suppose it's no harm for you to know. I'm sure Daniel's told you that I'm trying to take him under my wing. The boy has still a lot to learn about his powers, and I have twenty years of experience I am more than willing to share with him. And you, for that matter. Well, I've realized that Daniel is not going to come to me on his own, so I've brought you here to entice him."

"In other words, I'm _bait_." _If Vlad's resorting to this, he must be getting desperate. That's useful._

Vlad winced. "That's _such_ a harsh word, William. I prefer _incentive_. I am merely looking out for the boy's best interests, after all."

"Turning evil is not in _anyone's_ best interests."

"I merely want to train him, William, and to have him as a son."

Lancer burned. That was just _wrong_, and almost a blatant lie.

"I'm never joining you either, you know," he said angrily.

"Oh, I don't know. I think you might, given the right motivation." Vlad grinned, and fired up an ectoblast. It was the same colour as the light Lancer had seen in his blackouts.

And if you didn't already know that I was evil, you do now! Mwahahahahaa! Especially when you're not going to find out what happens to Lancer for a few more chapters! Mwahaha!


	5. Realization

Thanks to YumeTakato, R.H.M.A.S.S, Tamarind djinni, Snickerer, Pterodactyl, Lady Jarine, and Coronadofwb.

**Chapter 5: Realization**

_By now I think everyone knows that I don't own Danny Phantom. But I'm going to say it again anyway. _

By the time the Fenton family, minus Jazz, arrived at the second Ghost Portal, Danny had explained the accident that had made him a halfa and answered all his parents' questions about ghosts, ghost powers, and all the unexplained occurrences over the last year (missing curfew regularly, constantly coming in injured, missing classes, setting off ghost detectors, and so forth). He'd even given demonstrations to show his willingness to cooperate with his parents. Danny tried to say as little as he could about Will Spirit and the "Wisconsin Ghost" and let his parents continue to believe both were full ghosts. He decided to tell them that Sam, Tucker, and Jazz knew, but that no one else did (again leaving out the issues of the other halfas).

Jack and Maddie Fenton were naturally stunned (but very proud) that their son was deliberately putting himself in danger for others and were slightly hurt that he hadn't told them before, especially after he became recognized as a hero. They finally understood why Danny Phantom was so often seen with Fenton products, and how he knew how to use them. Strangely, they were also less worried about Danny, now that they knew the reasons for his strange behaviour and his injuries. Overall, they were as accepting of him as Danny had hoped they would be, though the adjusting would continue for a few more days at least, and they were ready to "kick ghost butt" to get Will Spirit back.

Maddie steered the Specter Speeder into the green swirl that was the Plasmius Portal, slightly curious as to why a ghost would need a portal of his own, and how he'd managed to build one. She parked the vehicle in the middle of a lab that was very similar to her own (_why does the Wisconsin Ghost need a lab full of anti-ghost weaponry?_) and her husband and son climbed out.

"Mom, Dad, stay here," Danny ordered, grabbing the Ghost Crammer out of the Speeder's storage area. "I'm going to search this place for Spirit. Try not to touch anything. I don't know what some of this stuff does, and I don't want to find out either. If you hear fighting, then come and help, but don't wander off otherwise." Danny soared off, hoping that his parents didn't leave the lab and realize they were in Vlad's castle.

Maddie and Jack obeyed their son's command to remain in the lab, but they did poke around a little to look at the weapons, quickly realizing that a lot of the technology was more advanced than their own. While Jack was bouncing around like a kid in a candy shop and exclaiming about every object he saw, Maddie tried to memorize a few of the weapons so she could recreate them later, or at least capitalize on their sophistication. She noticed that a lot of the ectoguns bore the label "DALV." Interesting, especially considering who she suspected owned that company...

After about forty-five minutes, Danny returned to the lab looking uphappy.

"He's not here, guys. Sorry."

"Not here?" Maddie's eyebrows shot up. "Where else could the Ghost have him, Danny?"

"I don't know. He's not in this building or outside. I've checked everywhere."

"What about the Ghost Zone?"

"No. He's not stupid enough to keep him there. I'm pretty sure he's doing it to catch _me_, and the Zone's too easy to escape in."

"All right, then. We'll just go back home and see what we can find out about the Ghost. He may haunt somewhere else too." Danny chose not to mention Colorado for the moment. He'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

They climbed back into the Speeder and drove back into the Ghost Zone. Jack's excitement over the new weapons bubbled over, and his family listened to two hours of rhapsodizing on the way home. Danny dug a CD player out from under the seat and turned it on after the first hour.

---

Jazz Fenton was sitting at the kitchen table working on her latest psychology thesis when she heard the distinctive sound of the Specter Speeder in the basement. She dropped her pen and ran down the stairs two at a time.

"What do you think you're doing?" she yelled at her brother as she ran. "You should have at least let me know where you were going, Danny. You're just lucky Mom and Dad are ... right behind you! This isn't what it looks like!" Jazz started waving her arms frantically.

"Jazz, don't panic. They know." Danny tried to radiate calmness to show his older sister that everything was all right.

"They _know_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Jasmine, we know." Maddie dropped a gun on the table. "Danny was going after Will Spirit and we wouldn't let him go alone, so he ended up telling us." Danny blushed.

"Going after Spirit?" Jazz raised her eyebrows at Danny. _Something's happened to Lancer? Is that why he wasn't in school today?_

"He's been kidnapped," Danny reported dejectedly. "I thought I knew where he was, but I didn't."

"We're going to help Danny do research and find out where else he might be," Jack stated proudly. "We know he's not in Wisconsin."

"All right." Jazz sighed. "Should I call Sam and Tucker?"

"No. I'll do it." Danny headed upstairs to phone his friends while his mom logged on to the lab computer. Once he had hung up, Jazz cornered him.

"What do they know?"

"I'm Phantom. I'm the only halfa. Sam, Tucker, and you know about me. They know about the accident, and they've seen most of my powers. Oh, and the Wisconsin Ghost has a Portal and a lab."

"That's it?" Danny nodded. "They don't know it's Vlad?"

"Not unless they figured something out from the lab. I know they didn't leave it." Danny ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to see what Mom's dug up. Send Sam and Tuck down when they get here."

---

A minute later, Danny was at his mother's elbow, trying to read the computer screen over her shoulder.

"I haven't found much, Danny," the brunette said apologetically. "There haven't been a lot of sightings. The only big one was at the reunion, though there've been a few around Amity Park. Honey, you said the Wisconsin Ghost was trying to catch you. Why?"

"He knows I'm really powerful and wants me to join him. And he refuses to take no for an answer."

"So you think he's got Will Spirit to lure you there?"

"Uh huh."

"So what's your plan?" Maddie asked, turning completely away from the keyboard to face her son. "You can't just fly in. He'll be ready for that."

"I don't have a plan yet. We need to know where L- Spirit is first."

"Who's Plasmius?" Maddie asked abruptly.

"Huh?" _I didn't mention that, did I?_

"I saw the name on a few of the things in that lab. How is it connected to the Wisconsin Ghost?" _And why is DALV?_ she added to herself.

"That's just what he calls himself," Danny explained quickly.

The doorbell moaned and worried voices filtered down into the lab. A minute later, Sam and Tucker appeared on the stairs.

"Jazz filled us in," Tucker said. "What do you need us to do?"

"Take over the computer." Danny slipped easily into command mode. "Find out anything you can about where Plasmius might be. Sam, as soon as he has something, we're going to need transportation. Preferably something he won't see coming a mile away. I'm not going to assume he's got multiple Portals. Mom, we're going to need food and probably blankets too. Dad? Good, you're already gathering weapons."

Several minutes later, Tucker beckoned Danny over to the computer.

"Okay, dude, he's got three places. Wisconsin, Colorado, and New Mexico." He jabbed the screen. Danny blinked.

"New Mexico?"

"Yeah. Roswell."

Sam leaned over Tucker's other shoulder with a smirk. "Guess that explains the aliens. Danny, I've got us a stealth jet. That work?"

"A stealth _jet_?"

Sam stuck a finger in her ear and waggled it around. "Do I hear an echo in here?"

Danny ignored her. "Okay, Tuck. See if you can get satellite for those places. We can't afford to go to the wrong one and give him a heads-up."

"Already on it." Tucker tapped a few keys. "He's in Roswell."

"Print out the coordinates. You guys coming?"

"I'll see," said Sam, snapping open her phone again. Tucker shook his head.

"Can't, Danny. I've broken curfew too many times this month. I'll leave my phone on if you need me though."

Danny went to update his parents, and a few minutes later his friends came upstairs. Tucker handed him a sheaf of papers.

"I'm 'staying the night at the Fenton's,'" announced Sam. "The jet's waiting for us at the airfield."

Maddie blinked. The whole process from arrival home to departure had taken just over half an hour. She hadn't realized Danny was so good at taking charge. Mind you, he had been doing this for over a year. She wouldn't be surprised if he already had the beginnings of a plan as well. Then another thought crossed her mind that was nearly as unsettling as finding out about Danny.

_Wait a minute, how did a fifteen year old girl manage to get a jet to Amity Park at this time of night?_

"Listen up, Ghost Hunters!" Jack's voice boomed out into the kitchen. "We are going to rescue Will Spirit from the clutches of the evil Wisconsin Ghost in New Mexico (wonder how that works). He is known to be malicious and powerful, so we must prepare ourselves for a long and hard battle to save our friend. There is a chance that one or all of us may not be returning."

Jack sniffed and wiped his eyes. "To the Ghost Assault Vehicle!"

---

Tucker said goodbye to Danny, Sam, and the Fentons beside the Assault Vehicle, and wished them luck, mostly out of politeness and habit. He knew that Danny could probably pull off the rescue on his own, and having backup would just make it go quicker and easier. If one thing was certain, it was that Vlad was _not_ going to have a very good night.

As Tucker was walking home along the quiet streets of Amity Park, he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Tucker, wait up!" The boy turned to see Valerie Gray running towards him.

"What are you doing out at this time of night, Val?" _Hunting ghosts, I bet._

"I, um, had some errands to run," Val said nervously. "So how come Danny isn't with you?"

"He had some things he had to take care of," Tucker told her.

"Real-ly. Like what?"

"Homework. Family. Chores. You know, things." _Oh, what the heck. Danny did say that Val wanted in on the action from time to time. I'm going to get it tomorrow though._ "Actually, Val, Danny and his parents went on a ghost hunt with Phantom just now. I think they were headed to the airport."

"Did they? The airport? Oh, would you look at the time? See ya, Tucker!" Valerie pelted off.

Tucker grinned. _I _really_ don't want to be Vlad tonight._

**---**

Sam's stealth jet was flying over Iowa, its passengers grouped around a table trying to sort out their battle plan. Danny had just spread out a map of New Mexico. He stabbed it with a finger.

"Okay, so here's where we land. It should be about a ten minute walk to our destination. Unfortunately, there's going to be pretty high security, and it'll be mobilized as soon as they notice the plane. I have no idea what we're going to be up against, so we're going to have to be on our guard, weapons out. I'll see you guys inside safely, and then head off." Danny pulled out the papers Tucker had given him again.

"Wait a minute, he gave us _floor plans?!_" _Tuck, you're a genius. _"This should come in handy. Sam, see if you can find any evidence of a secret room anywhere. That's where Spirit's going to be."

_High security? Secret rooms? Why do I get the feeling he's not telling us everything? _Maddie Fenton was beginning to get dangerously curious.

"Danny! Found something here, on the first floor."

"Perfect. Let me have a look."

---

An hour later, Jack had talked Jazz and Maddie into a game of Ghost Rummy to pass the time and Sam had taken Danny aside into a corner of the jet.

"What were you thinking? Don't you think they're going to notice something once we get inside?" she hissed. "Or that they might be getting suspicious already? I mean, what would the Wisconsin Ghost be doing with a lab and a Ghost Portal? Or a mansion in New Mexico?"

"What was I supposed to tell them? You can't come to New Mexico, but it's totally fine that you came to Wisconsin?"

"You shouldn't have brought them there either! You know how paranoid Vlad is about being found out, especially by your mom."

"Relax, Sam." Danny smiled to reassure the goth. "They've been angry at Vlad ever since he showed up at the mall. You've seen them in action when they're defending their family. Not something you want to get on the wrong side of. Trust me."

---

As they were landing, Danny made sure that everyone was armed and ready. The moment they touched down, Jack activated a ghost shield around the plane, so the pilot wouldn't be attacked. The rescue team jumped out and started walking cautiously forwards. Once they were outside the shield, Danny went ghost and flew up into the air to find out where Vlad's place was. He came down quickly.

"Straight ahead guys."

They walked for about seven minutes without anything happening. Then Danny's watch started beeping. He looked skyward.

"Nooo, she _didn't_," he muttered.

"What? A ghost?" Jack readied his guns.

"_Valerie_," said Sam. And sure enough, the red-clad girl was descending in front of them on her jet board.

"Tucker told me you were going hunting without me, Phantom. Didn't wanna miss the action." The sled retracted into her heels and the face behind the tinted face shield became puzzled. "Hey, I thought he said Danny was with you too?"

"Someone has to guard the plane." Danny was suddenly terse, hoping his parents would understand that he didn't want Val to know his secret. Luckily, they did.

"Why are we here?" Val demanded.

"Spirit's been kidnapped." Valerie nodded. The group continued forward silently, and Danny fell into thought.

_This is too easy. Either he knows we're here and wants us to make it there in one piece, or whatever goons he's hired to guard this place are several ufos short of an invasion. Let's hope it's the second one. _

They slipped around the floodlights and Danny phased them through the wall.

"Val, you go with Jazz and Sam. They know what to do. Good luck, guys." Danny went invisible and flew off. _Now, where's Vlad?_


	6. Freedom

Thanks to Snickerer, YumeTakato, and Coronadofwb for the reviews. 

**Chapter 6: Freedom**

_I do not own Danny Phantom or any character therefrom, nor do I own any of the real books I mention in this chapter. I do own all the fake ones though, but am still not profiting from them._

"Maddie, I sure hope we don't run into any ghosts here. We're completely defenseless."

"I agree, Jack. Not to mention that we're completely lost and Phantom isn't here to save us."

"I don't know what I would do if I ran into a ghost right now."

"No, Jack, neither do I." The adult Fentons were talking slightly monotonously, as if reciting a script. They slowly wandered the halls of the dark mansion, trying to look scared. Their hard work quickly paid off, as a green-haired suit of armour dropped through the ceiling and grinned.

"Well, well, the Fentons. We didn't expect you to come too. The master will be pleased."

Skulker shot a net out of his arm, but Jack and Maddie rolled out of the way. Maddie came up out of the roll into a crouching position and fired a gun back at the ghost, who deflected the blast through a window. Maddie continued to attack him until Jack managed to get out the Fenton Thermos and locate the right button. (Danny had shown him how to work it during the trip to Wisconsin.) Eventually, Jack managed to activate the device and suck Skulker in, and the husband and wife continued on their way.

_Danny was right, _Maddie thought._ Plasmius's henchmen _are_ idiots_.

The sound of the fight with Skulker had attracted the rest of Vlad's security team. After a few injuries and a massive firefight, they too had been either sucked into a Thermos or tossed into the Ghost Zone courtesy of the Fenton Bazooka. The two adults stood in the room they'd ended up in, panting.

---

Meanwhile, the three teenaged girls were navigating the corridors with the help of Tucker's floor plans and Jazz's memory. They walked in silence so they wouldn't alert anyone to their presence. After about five minutes, the sounds of a battle began on the floor above them. Five minutes later, they arrived at a bookcase. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Talk about originality."

Jazz began examining the titles of the books. _If I were an evil billionaire half-ghost who wanted to hide someone in a secret room behind a bookcase, what book would I use as a trigger?_ Get Rich Quick Schemes Hostile Takeovers for Dummies Psychology for the Modern Ghost Legends of the Ghost ZoneLittle House on the Prairie

Sam began examining the tiles on the floor. Valerie, trying to be useful, began moving towards the next bookshelf down, but tripped over the edge of a rug. She caught her hand on a nearby table as she went down. Something clicked.

"Good one, Val! Come on, before someone comes to investigate!"

Valerie turned around and noticed that a narrow column of books had slid back. She followed Jazz and Sam inside, wondering slightly why they used her name so readily. The door slipped back and they were shut in complete darkness.

"Got any gizmos on your suit that could help us here?" asked Sam in a deadpan voice. Valerie pressed a panel on her wrist and a soft light shone out of a number of small bulbs that neither of the other girls had noticed before. They were standing in a narrow passage with damp walls and rotting floorboards. Sam groaned.

_Vlad's flare for the dramatic strikes again_.

The three girls walked in silence for several more minutes until they came to a steel door.

"This is it," announced Jazz.

---

"I know you're here, Plasmius. Too chicken to fight me in the open?"

Danny flew up and down the hallways and levels of Vlad's New Mexico home throwing out taunts, insults, and challenges. He was trying to draw Vlad away from the others so that they could continue on with the "real work." If anyone was going to be mortally injured, he had announced, it was him. He heard his parents' battle begin and end, and still there was no sign of Vlad. Danny was beginning to wonder whether the halfa was even there when he heard a maniacal laugh coming from where he knew his parents to be. He dove down through the floor and headed in the direction of the noise.

_Oh man, I hope I can get to them in time._

---

As Jack and Maddie were trying to get their breath back, Vlad Plasmius appear above them, smiling devilishly.

"So, the mighty ghost hunters of Amity Park are no match for a couple of weakling ghosts? Poor Jack, too tired to even lift that gun. Such a shame."

"Plasmius," whispered Maddie, readying her gun again. She glanced over at Jack. He wasn't doing much better than she felt.

"I didn't expect either of you to come with Daniel, even with your recent change of heart. Protecting the town hero after you spent a year trying to destroy him? A little hypocritical, don't you think?"

"I'm not going to let you harm my son." Jack had aimed an ectogun at the ghost in front of him and was staring him down determinedly.

"Your _son_? So that's why you came. When did he tell you?" Vlad smirked. "You know what? I don't care. I'll get that from him later. Now, I feel like a little fun and games, don't you?"

Vlad aimed two beams of energy out of his eyes at Jack, who managed to leap to his feet just before the beams hit the ground and burned a hole in the floor. Maddie fired a gun at Vlad while his gaze was elsewhere, and it hit him side-on, making him slam into the wall.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Vlad spat as he picked himself up again. He laughed violently as he primed two ectoblasts, then flew straight at Jack while releasing them. Jack reacted by falling to the ground and rolling to the side. Vlad continued on the offensive for another minute, never giving the two humans a change to rest or plan their next move. His attacks, strangely to the humans, never seemed to hit Maddie, though a high percentage made contract with Jack.

Then a green ectoblast hit him in the back.

"Bad move, Plasmius," said a low voice from behind him. "Nobody attacks my parents and gets away with it. Even you."

---

Surprisingly, the steel door was unlocked. Sam signed for Valerie to help her guard the door while Jazz slipped inside. She felt for the light switch and turned it on. It was another of Vlad's secret labs, although this one had a pile of ashes in the middle of the floor. William Lancer, not Will Spirit, was lying on the ground, bruised and bloody, but conscious. He was chained to the wall. Jazz ran over to him, pulling an ectolaser out of her pocket as she did so.

"Spirit? I'm going to get you out of here." Jazz slid the laser through the first set of chains.

"Jazz Fenton? What are you ..."

"Rescue mission. Danny's here too, and our parents. Are you okay? Can you go ghost?" The second set of fetters fell to the ground. The man rubbed his wrists and got stiffly to his feet.

"I should be able to. Vlad didn't hurt me very badly." Lancer smiled weakly. "_Ghost World._"

The rings of light appeared and changed Lancer into his ghost self. Then he registered what Jazz had called him and he shot her a hard glance.

"How long have you known?"

Jazz shrugged. "About two months. And before you ask, no, Danny didn't tell me."

"Jazz! Hurry up in there. I think Danny's found Vlad!" Sam's voice rang out into the room. Lancer made a move to fly through the ceiling, but Jazz shook her head.

"If you go, we're stuck down here." She raised her voice. "Sam? Val? Get in here. He's okay." The other two girls ran into the room.

"Grab onto me. I'll fly us all up through the ceiling." They did so, and Lancer headed off towards the battle.

---

The room the fight was in looked like it had been hit by the ghost attack of the century, probably because that was actually what was going on on its floor at the moment. Vlad and all three of his doubles were aiming ectoblasts and eye-rays at Danny and his parents, who were retaliating with a grim determination. The two adult Fentons were tiring quickly, Jack more than Maddie, but the Vlads seemed almost unfazed by the exertion, easily deflecting most of the attacks.

Lancer flew the girls over to a corner away from the action and assessed the situation while keeping them all invisible. Vlad seemed to be winning, and the fight was happening at too close a range for him to use his Ghost Breath without affecting the Fentons too. That would have to be a last resort. He needed to take out those clones now. He let go of his charges, and Val ran straight into the fighting, still in her battlesuit.

Lancer leapt off the floor, still invisible, and flew up behind a clone. He fired an ectoblast at its chest at close range and it disappeared. Another Vlad headed in his direction, but Valerie hit it with a missile before it could do anything, and it vanished as well. Danny flew at Vlad Three and began engaging him while a well-timed series of blasts from Jack, Maddie, and Jazz weakened the fourth enough that he disappeared as well. The final, real Vlad sent a massive beam of energy at Danny, who hit the far wall smoking. Plasmius was beginning to look worried.

"Daniel, William, can't we talk about this like rational beings?"

"If we were all rational, maybe." Lancer fired another blast at Vlad. "But after what you did in the lab, I don't think that option's open anymore."

He duplicated himself, and went at Vlad, Danny closely following. The humans pitched in with their ectoweapons whenever they could get a clear shot. Vlad was beginning to look very tired, the humans had hit their second wind, and the two halfas were still reasonably fresh, and very angry.

"Wanna call it quits, Plasmius?" yelled Danny. "Not as strong as you thought, huh? Met your match?"

Before Vlad had a chance to reply, he was hit with a double blast from Valerie and fell to the ground, out cold. Everyone backed up to form a circle around him, shocked. Danny winced, realizing what was about to happen. Two rings of light appeared at the ghost's waist and split apart to reveal ...

"V-man?" Jack's jaw dropped. Everyone turned to look at Danny, who fidgeted.

"Okay, so maybe I'm _not_ the only halfa?" He grinned sheepishly.

"I don't understand. Vlad is the Wisconsin Ghost? And you knew?" Maddie said. _This is all beginning to make sense. The Portal, the lab, DALV, the intimate knowledge of our family, the appearances in Amity Park, the thing at the mall ..._

"Since the reunion," Danny told them, thinking nervously. _I'd better give them the history before he wakes up and gives "his version."_ He took a deep breath and plunged in.

"He blackmailed me into not telling anyone, but I don't think it holds anymore. Remember the accident with the Proto-Portal? That's when it happened. He blames Dad for the accident and has been trying to get revenge. He _is_ trying to make me his apprentice. I think deep down he's really lonely and won't admit it. That's why he keeps kidnapping members of our family." Danny shot a look at Lancer. "And now other people, by the looks of things."

Everyone was so worried about the implications of Vlad's transformation that they had completely forgotten about Valerie's presence. She was standing a ways apart from everyone else, and trying to block out what she was witnessing. Her benefactor was a ghost. An _evil_ ghost who was trying to do who knows what to Phantom. Danny Phantom, who seemed to be on pretty good terms with the Fentons.

_Wait a sec, did he just say, "_our family_?" What's goin' on?_

Vlad groaned and slowly opened his eyes. _What just happened? _Then he noticed the ring of faces around him. _Right... Daniel, Spirit, Fentons, battle, outnumbered, unconscious ... Unconscious?! Does that mean ...? _Vlad stared down at himself. He was back in his business suit. He allowed himself a wicked smile. _Maybe I can still use this._

Before he had a chance to reciprocate, Jack Fenton burst out.

"It was you all along. You trying to kill me and destroy my son. I don't know why I didn't see it before. In hindsight it was so obvious. I should have seen you were after our technology too, with all that time you spent in our lab. I saw some of our inventions in that lab of yours, so don't deny it. No wonder why Danny kept trying to get you away from us. I should have trusted my son, but instead I. Trusted. _You_." Jack trained an ectogun on Vlad, glaring.

"Yes, _Jack_, it was me. But you created me. You drove me to it. And you were always too stupid to see through me, always too stupid to see that your son was half-ghost too. Can you even imagine what life is like for us, living in fear of discovery at every moment?"

He was on his feet now and so close to Jack that flecks of spittle were hitting the larger man's face. Despite Vlad's threatening posture, Jack couldn't make himself pull the trigger of the gun. This man had been his best friend for years, even if he hadn't returned Jack's feelings.

"Your carelessness ruined my life," Vlad went on. "I'm a freak and it's all your fault. I don't belong in this world or the next. And you have the _gall_ to assume that I still want to be your friend, after you took away everything I wanted."

Danny noticed that Vlad was priming another ectoblast. He shot one of his own at him, and the other man's blast shot through the ceiling as he slid into a pile of rubble. Danny advanced on him.

"Leave my dad alone," he growled. "It's over, Vlad. You can't fight us anymore. I'm never going to join you and my family's never going to fall for your tricks again. Revenge is no longer an option. We'll be ready for you. _Every last one of us._"

"I know, Daniel," Vlad said smoothly. "But you want revenge on me. Take it. I'm weak now. You can kill me if you want."

"No," Danny said firmly. "You've still got good in you, somewhere. Let it out. There's still hope for a better life." He turned from Vlad to face his parents.

"Let's go. He'll be fine. We should get home." He steered the group of heroes towards the door. They were too stunned to protest. Once everyone was in the corridor, Danny turned, grinning.

"Oh, and Vla-ad?" The elder halfa twitched.

"I. Do. Not. Need. A. Cat!"


	7. Confessions

_Thanks to Nikky Phantom of the Opera, Snickerer, YumeTakato, and Melissa45! Last chapter, folks!_

**Chapter 7: Confessions**

_I don't own Danny Phantom or the rights to any book that comes up in this chapter. _

"Tucker! What did you think you were doing, sending Valerie after us? Didn't you realize what could happen? ... She _knows_, Tucker. Danny had to explain everything once we got back to the jet. She was there when Vlad reverted too. ... You idiot! You knew saying that would ... Well, yeah, she was maybe a _bit_ of help, but ... She could have _killed_ him, Tucker!"

It was four in the morning. Sam was pacing back and forth near the back of the jet, fuming at her technogeek friend over the phone. Jazz was holding an impromptu therapy session with Valerie nearby, trying to get her over the shock and denial. Maddie Fenton was fussing over the two halfas' injuries and Jack was sitting alone, trying to come to terms with his discoveries about Vlad. It was going to take him a while to digest it all.

Once Maddie had finished doctoring the two males's wounds, she moved off to treat her own. Lancer turned to his student.

"Danny, would you mind filling me in on what exactly is going on? You finally told them, I take it."

"Yeah. I was heading to Wisconsin to look for you and couldn't get away from them. Telling them was easier than trying to come up with a lot of lies." Lancer laughed softly at that.

"I told you it would be. What else did you tell them?"

"They know my story. They don't know anything about you, though, except that you're my friend." Danny's tone was serious. "It's up to you whether you tell them or not. I didn't mention Vlad either. What was he trying for, anyway?"

"The usual," Lancer told him. "Trying to get you to come after me so he could get you angry enough to go bad. I don't think he counted on all the backup, though."

Danny nodded. "Figured."

"He was also trying to get me to flip," continued Lancer, with an edge to his voice. "It didn't work."

Maddie came back to join them, bringing the rest of the plane's occupants with her.

"Well, it seems like we're all going to be working together from now on," she said, matter-of-factly, "so we might as well all be on the same page. Why don't you tell us everything that happened, Spirit. From the beginning."

"Well, first of all, can I say that Danny and Vlad aren't the only halfas? Danny didn't mention me because it's my secret. But, since we _are_ all in this together now..." Lancer trailed off and nervously summoned the rings of light that started his transformation back to human.

"Mr. Lancer?" Valerie was stunned. _Man, can this day get any weirder? First Vlad, then Danny, then my teacher? I'd never have suspected _him_. Geez, are there halfas everywhere or somethin'?_

Lancer nodded. Maddie raised her eyebrows. He shrugged.

"So, the kidnapping...," Lancer began, his voice quiet and breaking, "well, Vlad crept up behind me when I was out on patrol last night and knocked me out. The next thing I remember was waking up in some sort of lab, in a box that shorted out my powers. Vlad came in and taunted me for a while, then left me alone in the dark. I think he was letting me brood. I don't know _how_ long I sat there for. When Vlad came back, I managed to get him to tell me what he was doing. Like Danny suspected, he was using me as a lure to get Danny to join him. Then I told Vlad I'd never join him either..."

_Flashback_

"I'm never joining you either, you know."

"Oh, I don't know. I think you might, given the right motivation." Vlad grinned, and fired up an ectoblast. In the meager light it provided, Lancer noticed that the lumpy shadows he's been able to pick out were, in fact, stacks of books. He watched as Vlad picked a slim volume off a nearby one.

"Oh, this should be good. _The Catcher in the Rye_." Vlad tossed the book up in the air and hit it with the ectoblast. He had another book in his hand by the time Lancer realized what had happened.

"_Anna Karenina_. Had to read it in college. Hated it." The ectoblast hissed through the air and hit the book straight on.

"_Mayor of Casterbridge!_" roared Lancer, shaking the box that contained him. Vlad was torturing him by incinerating works of literature. Had the man no respect for the written word?

"Oh, good idea!" grinned Vlad. He picked another book off a pile.

_Whoosh. _

_Hiss. _

_Crackle. _

Vlad certainly knew how to get to people. This was hell. Lancer had seen it coming too, which made everything worse.

The book burning continued for a few more minutes until Vlad realized that Lancer had completely shut himself down and was refusing to display any sort of emotion. The only thing that betrayed his agitation was a slight eye twitch.

_End Flashback_

"After that, he left again. We had another session a few hours later and I did the same thing. When he came back after that one, he pulled me out of the box and chained me to the wall. I fought back, of course, but Vlad had made the cuffs out of the same material as the box, so they cancelled my powers too."

_Flashback_

Vlad stood just out of Lancer's reach, book in one hand, ectoblast ready in the other. Every so often he would light the book of the moment on fire and watch as a look of pain flickered over the other halfa's face. To be so close to saving the books but be powerless to do so was torture. Vlad was grinning madly.

_End Flashback_

"He kept that up periodically for about six hours. The man probably spent a fortune getting those books, too. There were a lot of old ones."

Jazz shuddered along with Lancer at that point. The teacher continued.

"Vlad left me alone for about three hours, and when he came back he piled the rest of the books in the middle of the floor. You can probably guess what he did to them. When I refuse to crack, he began to verbally bait me."

_Flashback_

"I'm surprised at you, William. I keep putting you in situations that should break you, and you keep confounding me. Like that thing with the Ghost Writer, for instance."

"So that _was_ you."

"Who else?" Vlad shrugged casually. "I knew that you and Danny would fight to save those students and would tire yourselves out by doing so. Either you'd change back or you wouldn't have the energy to leave, and would be at my mercy." _And I got the allies and weapons_ _I needed too_, he added silently,_ so it wasn't a _complete_ failure._

"But you didn't plan on the class helping out, did you?" Lancer asked. "Tell me, why an auction? You could have just had Skulker kidnap us and put us in a massive crowd of ghosts. Or you could have exposed us in the school."

"Tsk tsk, William. Now you're just giving me ideas. No, I still got some good out of that, even if I _was_ cuffed to Klemper for three days." Vlad shuddered at the memory. "But enough about me. I notice thatDaniel hasn't even made a rescue attempt yet. I don't think he's going to come. I think he's too afraid of what I plan to do."

_No, Plasmius, school won't even be out yet, and then you've got to figure in travel time_, Lancer thought coolly._ Danny's coming, just not yet. I can outlast you. _

"He's not afraid of you," he told Vlad, "and neither am I. You should know that by now."

"I admire your bravado, William, but let's face it, I _am_ more powerful than you." Vlad smirked.

"Only because you have more experience. I bet it took you years to figure out duplication." _You've got to admire the man. He got rid of that look of uncertainty almost instantly. _"You're a weak coward. You only started attacking people when you knew you could win. That's what makes Danny different than you."

"And you're just an old out-of-shape English teacher playing the hero," Vlad jeered. "Do you really think you're that different from me?"

"I care about people. I don't like watching them die. That's never going to change." Although his face was a mask, Lancer was amused. He'd just learned something very useful._ He isn't used to taunting adults, is he? Doesn't know what makes us tick._

_End Flashback_

"You get the idea. That went on for about an hour and then he left again. A while later I heard him several floors above yelling. I couldn't catch the words, but it sounded like he'd just gotten some bad news."

"Probably about me being in Wisconsin," said Danny. "Go on."

"When Vlad was done there, he came down to where he was holding me, and let off some steam. Fortunately, he got called away by the vultures before he could do any major damage. I was already healing by the time Jazz rescued me. That was the last time I saw him, or anyone, until the rescue. Which I really appreciate, by the way."

"No problem!" said Jack, clapping Lancer on the shoulder. "Anything to help out a hero." Lancer smiled, wincing.

"Thanks. It could have been a lot worse, actually. I'm glad it wasn't." Lancer sighed. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Valerie.

"Well, everyone here now knows about our secret. Two of you are dedicated ghost hunters with connections and the ability to do experiments. You could easily reveal us to Amity Park, or the world for that matter. That goes for Valerie as well."

"Telling everyone _would_ make it easier for both of you to live double lives, but I doubt either you or Danny want the publicity, since you didn't tell anyone, even us, before now," Maddie said thoughtfully. "So I suppose we'll just keep the secret among ourselves, and leave the rest up to your own discretion. Everyone in agreement?"

They were.

"And as for the experiments, well, we could learn a lot from you two, especially because you're hybrids." Danny and Lancer began to look panicked. Maddie smiled pleasantly. "But don't worry. We're not going to pressure you into anything, or do anything that might hurt you without your consent. All right?"

The two halfas breathed sighs of relief, making everyone laugh. The good mood lasted until the plane landed in Amity Park. Once everyone had gotten out, Danny checked his watch.

"Oh man, it's seven! We've got school in an hour!"

"I'd better head home," said Lancer. "I need to change and get my marking. You've got my number if you need me, Maddie. _Ghost World._" He flew off.

"Valerie, Sam, come back to Fenton Works with us. You can eat there and go off to school with Danny together," suggested Maddie. She knew there wasn't enough time for Val or Sam to get home before they had to leave again, and her house was reasonably close, especially with Jack's driving. She also doubted that Valerie would want to face her father so soon after running off to New Mexico in the middle of the night. The two girls climbed into the Ghost Assault Vehicle and they careened off.

---

Tucker met Danny, Sam, and Valerie at the door of the school fifty minutes later. He put his PDA away as they came up the front steps.

"So, what now?" he asked. "You going to tell everyone?"

"Nope!" Danny was grinning broadly. "And my parents aren't going to experiment unless we say they can."

"Ni-ice." Tucker grinned back. "How's Lancer?" The group of teens began to head into the school.

"Pretty good, actually." Danny shoved his hands into his pockets. "Vlad didn't actually try to traumatize him very much. Lancer spent most of the time on his own, without powers."

They passed the office, where Lancer was trying to plead his case with the principal. Valerie split off from the group to head to her locker, with a "See you at lunch!".

"I'm still a little worried about Vlad, though," Danny continued. "I don't think he's going to try anything major for a while, and I doubt he's stupid enough to try a full-on attack again, but that doesn't mean much. He was a crazed-up fruit loop even before my parents found out. And now he's lost Valerie too." The warning bell rang as his two friends were nodding in worried agreement.

"I want the full story at lunch." Tucker grabbed his books out of his locker.

"You got it." Danny, Tucker, and Sam shut their lockers and headed to math.

---

William Lancer grabbed his briefcase at the sound of the bell and left the principal's office. He had first period history, and hadn't prepared. Again.

_Luckily I can teach this in my sleep. _"Good morning, class. Can anyone tell me what you covered yesterday?"

Things were back to normal in Amity Park, and no one was the wiser.

The End 

_All right, so I've pretty much got _Much Ado About Nothing_, the next story in the Spirit Quintology, rewritten as well. I'll be starting to put that up in a week or two. Right now, this is my last day before a week long vacation, so any reviews, PMs, etc. that get sent my way after about midnight probably won't be answered until I get back to normal internet access next Wednesday. Jus want to warn everyone, since I'm usually incredibly prompt with replies and stuff. (Addiction? What addiction?)_

_Happy holidays, everyone, and a joyous winter celebration of your choice!_


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